The concept of using communications in the manufacturing process is well known. However, most communications techniques used in manufacturing involve the use of connectors between the system monitoring the manufacturing and the device being manufactured.
Such an approach is impractical if the device being manufactured needs to be tested in as close to real-world operating conditions as possible. For example, if the performance of the device might change if the device were opened sufficiently as to connect a sensing device physically, the use of a connector becomes an unacceptable approach, but the prior art has not fully addressed this problem.
Further, for devices requiring calibration during manufacture, the prior art typically has required a port in the device by which a connector can be physically attached to the device to permit control by the manufacturing system. For devices which have no external port, the approach of using a physical connection is unworkable, and another solution is required. For such devices, it is desirable that the communication system include a wireless link between the host system and the DUT. It is also desirable that such a communication system minimizes the cost added to each individual device as the result of testing.
In addition, the ability to log performance data for a device being manufactured, and therefore to be able to track a device's entire manufacturing history, without ever physically connecting a monitoring system to the device, has not been possible in the prior art.
As a result, there has been a need for a system and method by which a device under test can be sealed so as to operate in conditions essentially identical to real world conditions, and at the same time able to respond to provide to the manufacturing system full data concerning the performance of the device, while also being able to respond to calibration instructions from the manufacturing system. And, of course, the communications link that provides all of these features must be inexpensive, but must also be reliable and operable by manufacturing personnel without extensive training.